Research and analysis

Outbreaks under monitoring: week 24 (week ending 14 June 2026)

Updated 18 June 2026

The following signal relates to an ongoing outbreak, with data as of 15 June 2026

Disease or pathogen	Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD)
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	15 May to 15 June 2026
Summary	On 15 May 2026, an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General determined that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. As of 15 June 2026 (in French), 837 confirmed cases and 196 confirmed deaths have been reported in the DRC. This is an increase of 239 confirmed cases and 81 deaths since the last outbreaks under monitoring report. Confirmed cases have been reported in Ituri (767 cases), North Kivu (67 cases), and South Kivu (3 cases) provinces. In Uganda, as of 14 June 2026, 19 confirmed cases (including 2 deaths) have been reported.  Of the confirmed cases, 14 were imported from the DRC and 5 were secondary cases among contacts. The last confirmed case was reported on 5 June 2026. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 5 of the 19 cases are in health care workers. This is the 17th recorded Ebola disease outbreak in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. The last reported outbreak, in Kasai Province, ended in December 2025. Bundibugyo virus was first identified in 2007 in Bundibugyo district, western Uganda. A second outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus was reported in DRC in 2012. WHO assesses the risk of this event as very high in the DRC, high for Uganda and countries with land borders adjoining countries with documented Bundibugyo virus detection, and low for the remaining countries in the African region, and globally. As of 15 June 2026, no imported cases associated with this outbreak have been reported in the UK. Previous experience from the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak suggests a limited importation risk, with only one travel-related case reaching the UK outside of medical evacuations. The risk of the current outbreak to the UK population is assessed as low.
Further information	Ebola: overview, history, origins and transmission Ebola virus disease: clinical management and guidance Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers: outbreaks and case locations UKHSA blog:  What is Ebola and how does it spread? NaTHNaC country information page: Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

Epidemiological week 24, 8 to 14 June 2026

Disease or pathogen	Andes virus
Location	Multi-country
Status	Update
Reporting date	10 June 2026
Summary	On 2 May 2026, WHO was notified of a cluster of severe respiratory illness aboard a cruise ship carrying 147 passengers and crew from various countries. The cruise ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April 2026, and travelled across the South Atlantic. On 2 May 2026, laboratory testing of samples taken from a case confirmed hantavirus infection. Further testing of samples from cases confirmed Andes virus infection. As of 10 June 2026, 13 cases (12 confirmed and one probable), including 3 deaths (2 confirmed and one probable) have been reported. The latest confirmed case was a passenger of the cruise ship who had been receiving treatment in Tristan de Cunha. The case had previously been considered a probable case, however, on 10 June 2026, UKHSA and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office reported the confirmation of the case. The samples were collected in May 2026 and the case is now clinically well. WHO currently assesses the risk of this event to the global population to be low. There is very low risk of hantavirus in the UK. Seoul hantavirus is the only species to have been identified in the UK and does not spread between people. It is possible that rare, travel-associated Andes virus infections may be seen in the UK in individuals returning from places where Andes virus is considered endemic, although none have been reported to date.
Further information	Andes hantavirus: epidemiology, outbreaks and guidance Hantaviruses: characteristics, diagnosis and epidemiology HAIRS risk assessment: hantavirus UKHSA blog: What is hantavirus? How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms? NaTHNaC Hantavirus and Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak NaTHNaC country information page: Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

Disease or pathogen	Argentine haemorrhagic fever (Junin virus)
Location	Argentina
Status	Update
Reporting date	11 June 2026
Summary	On 8 June 2026, the Ministry of Health in Cordoba (In Spanish), Argentina, reported 6 confirmed cases of Argentine haemorrhagic fever (AHF) in Cordoba province in 2026, up to 29 May. Of these, 5 cases were reported during May 2026. The highest number of cases were reported in Union department (3 cases). In response, health authorities have strengthened surveillance, diagnostics, and control measures. AHF is endemic across Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Sante Fe and La Pampa provinces in Argentina. Most cases are reported during the harvest season, which occurs between April and July. There have been no known cases of AHF reported in the UK to date.
Further information	Argentine Haemorrhagic fever: origins, reservoirs, transmission and guidelines Viral haemorrhagic fever: ACDP algorithm and guidance on management of patients NaTHNaC country information page: Argentina

Disease or pathogen	Avian influenza A(H9N2)
Location	Hong Kong
Status	New
Reporting date	12 June 2026
Summary	On 12 June 2026, the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection reported a new human case of avian influenza A(H9) in a 2 year old child from Sha Tin District. The case experienced symptom onset on 9 June 2026 and was admitted for treatment the following day. Clinical specimens tested positive for influenza A(H9), and the subtype was later confirmed to be avian influenza A(H9N2). The case was classified as locally acquired, as there was no history of travel and the individual spent most of their time at home or in the surrounding area. Epidemiological investigations found that the case had visited a market on 2 occasions during June 2026, where there was exposure to live chickens. Infection is suspected to have resulted from contact with a contaminated surface at the market, a hypothesis supported by the detection of avian influenza A(H9) in an environmental sample collected from a shop the case had visited. In response, authorities have planned disinfection of the premises. Six household contacts were identified who remain asymptomatic and are under medical surveillance receiving antiviral prophylaxis. Since 1999, 11 human cases of influenza A(H9N2) have been reported in Hong Kong, including 5 locally acquired cases and 6 imported cases. UKHSA assesses the risk of avian influenza A(H9N2) to UK residents within the UK as very low, as it is not present in animal reservoirs in the UK. The risk to UK nationals travelling to an affected country is also considered to be very low, although risk may be higher in individuals with history of poultry exposure and associated activities.
Further information	Avian influenza: guidance, data and analysis Risk assessment of avian influenza A(H9N2) NaTHNaC country information page: Hong Kong

Disease or pathogen	Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
Location	Afghanistan and Iraq
Status	Update
Reporting date	10 to 11 June 2026
Summary	According to media, since the beginning of 2026, up to 10 June,  270 cases of CCHF and 10 deaths have been reported at the National and Specialized Antani Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. Of these, 150 cases and 6 deaths were reported between 27 May and 10 June 2026, of which 70 cases remain hospitalised. To compare, in 2025, up to 31 May, 378 CCHF cases (88 confirmed cases) and 24 deaths were reported nationally in Afghanistan. On 11 June 2026, media reported (in Arabic) 152 human cases of CCHF, including 9 deaths, in Iraq since the start of 2026. The highest number of cases has been reported in Dhi Qar province. CCHF has been reported sporadically in Iraq since 1979. However, according to the WHO, an increase in cases has been observed in recent years due to increased human-animal interactions, climate change, and changes in agricultural practices. In 2025, 247 cases were reported nationally, of which 96 were reported in Dhi Qar Governorate. CCHF is not present in the UK, nor are there any identified established populations of Hyalomma ticks, the principal vectors of CCHF virus. Confirmed CCHF cases have been imported into the UK, including one fatal case in 2012 and one in 2014.
Further information	Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever: origins, reservoirs, transmission and guidelines HAIRS risk assessment: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever NaTHNaC country information page: Afghanistan and Iraq.

Disease or pathogen	Nipah virus
Location	India
Status	Update
Reporting date	11 to 14 June 2026
Summary	On 11 June 2026, media reported a confirmed human case of Nipah virus infection in a 43 year old male in Kozhikode district, Kerala State, India. The case is reported to be hospitalised in critical condition in Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. Testing of samples taken from the case at state level confirmed Nipah virus infection on 10 June 2026. This was further verified by the National Institute of Virology in Pune on 12 June 2026. According to media, the case was suspected to be exposed while cleaning a warehouse potentially contaminated by fruit bats, a known reservoir for Nipah virus. In response, local authorities have imposed restrictions at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and contact tracing has been initiated. As of 14 June 2026, 103 contacts have been reported, including 4 very-high risk contacts, 14 high-risk contacts, and 85 low-risk contacts. The list of contacts includes 45 healthcare workers. 11 individuals have tested negative for Nipah virus, including 8 individuals who developed symptoms while under observation. In addition, health officials in Kerala State have issued a Nipah virus alert. Nipah virus infections have been reported in Kerala since 2018, with outbreaks in Kozhikode district documented in 2018 and 2023. Sporadic spillover events have also been reported nationally in 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2025. In January 2026, 2 confirmed Nipah virus cases were reported in healthcare workers in West Bengal, India. Nipah virus does not occur in the UK, nor have any travel-associated cases been reported in the UK.
Further information	Nipah virus: epidemiology, outbreaks and guidance WHO Nipah virus collection NaTHNaC country information page: India

Disease or pathogen	Plague
Location	United States
Status	Update
Reporting date	11 June 2026
Summary	On 11 June 2026, New Mexico’s Department of Health reported a confirmed fatal human case of plague in Santa Fe County. In response, health authorities have identified close contacts for follow-up and will conduct an environmental assessment. This is the first human case of plague in New Mexico in 2026. In 2025, 3 human cases were reported in the state. In the USA, an average of 7 human cases of plague are reported annually. Most cases occur in western USA, particularly in the states of New Mexico and Arizona. Plague is not found in the UK. The probability of a case occurring in a person returning to the UK is considered very low.
Further information	Plague: epidemiology, outbreaks and guidance  Plague: interim guidance for clinicians NaTHNaC country information page: United States of America

Disease or pathogen	Severe fever with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (SFTS)
Location	Japan
Status	Update
Reporting date	7 June 2026
Summary	As of 7 June 2026, Japan’s Institute for Health Security has reported 72 confirmed cases of SFTS across 26 prefectures in 2026. The highest number of cases have been reported from Aichi, Ehime, Nagasaki and Shizuoka prefectures (5 cases each). In 2025, 191 cases were reported across Japan. SFTS virus is not found in the UK, and no travel-associated cases have been reported in the UK to date.
Further information	Severe fever with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (SFTS): epidemiology, outbreaks and guidance. NaTHNaC country information page: Japan